Baptism

We just finished a great work week with a team from Oklahoma. The team worked in 4 different areas; Don Bosco, Caledonia, Santa Fe, and El Cangrejo. The church planters they worked with were Efrain and Fulvia Del Cid, Carlos, Noel, Higenio, Juan Carlos, and Norma. While the group was here they did children’s activities in a park, door to door evangelism, handed out bottles of water at a parade, prayer walked, and mapped out several areas of the city.

One of the highlights of the trip was a baptism that took place at a river on Sunday. One of the church planters, Higenio, has been discipling a guy named Tobias who lives in the area of Santa Fe. Tobias has a church that is meeting at his house. (In the above picture Higenio is in the yellow, Tobias is in the orange, and one of our friends named Gustavo is in the robe.) Another highlight of the week was when we did door to door evangelism. The team visited about 70 homes one day in the area of Santa Fe. The purpose was to evangelize or encourage believers to witness to their neighbors. Their were several people who accepted Christ. We are hoping that the neighborhood will be changed for Christ!

Our Last Day

Our time in Panama has come to an end.  This week has gone by so quickly and we are all so excited about the opportunity we have had to serve the Lord. Each day we have spent time in the community of Don Bosco.  This is an area in Panama that has over 45,000 people and only 1 Evangelical church.  We have spent the last four days praying for the sweet people who live there as well as showing them love through several events.  We have played games, put on tattoos, painted faces, assembled salvation bracelets, sang songs, took photos, decorated picture frames, and gave out lots of hugs.  Many of the same children came back day after day to see our team and we loved seeing them.  Today, Gary shared the gospel with the children.  We are praying that children and their parents heard about Jesus and decided to choose Him to be their personal Lord and Savior.  Only God knows the desires of their hearts, but we tried to be faithful to show His love to the people of Don Bosco.

As I reflect on this week, I can say with complete certainty that God deserves more from me than I am giving Him.  I have watched committed Christians come to a community event and openly share the gospel with their neighbors.  The Holy Spirit has reminded me that I don’t do the same.   This is one of many lessons that God has taught me this week.  I am so thankful that God allows me to serve Him in spite of  my weaknesses and sinful nature.  God has been amazing and I am so blessed to be able to serve alongside such a wonderful team.

Please continue to pray for the Louderbacks and the rest of the team and their ministry in Panama.

Leigh 

Message from Michelle

Wow! This is my first mission trip.  It has been such a blessing to be able to share the gospel of Jesus.  I have met so many people that have changed my attitude about life.  This mission trip has made me have a greater appreciation for the things that I already have.   I have been sharing the salvation of Jesus with Panamanians by making the salvation bracelets.  The Panamanians just love these bracelets. 

We have been on a non stop schedule since we have arrived.  Jesus has really shown me the importance of loving others.  We did an event in the park on Monday.  I witnessed 4 Panamanians accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  I am so blessed that God let me go on this trip to share what Jesus has done in my life.  Love you in Christ my brothers and sisters (Te amo). 

Posted by: Michelle Myers 

Day One and Two Recap

Sunday Oct 1.

Our day started with orientation about the work being done here by the UP team.  We had the privilege this morning to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ here at a local church.  What a blessing to worship along side brothers and sisters we have never met before, that we don’t speak the same language.  The love of Christ has no bounds!

After the service, we went to an area of the city called Don Boscoe.  One of the church planters that Tim and Tina have been working with wanted help reaching this area.  We did a block type party in the community park.  We had everything from a bouncy house to popcorn and cotton candy.  Ken B. placed hundreds of tattoos on children.  Rick J. sang and played for the crowd.  There were bubbles and games going.  Anything to draw in the people of the community and draw it did.  We had a great turn out.  One of the big hits of the afternoon was a photo station.  Gary M., myself, and our translator, William, had the privilege of running this station.  We would take a digital picture of the family or children or some times a group of friends.  We would then print out the picture and put it in a foam picture frame for them to decorate.  What a hit!  We don’t think of pictures as that big of a thing.  We have pictures of family all over our house.  We have albums of hundreds of pictures. We have thousands of pictures on computers, phones and Ipads.  But, they don’t!  Ken had the chance to talk with a teenage girl, while he was putting on a tattoo for her.  He asked her if she ever had a picture of herself?  She had not!  That is just unthinkable for us!  What started as a simple task for me (to print out pictures as fast as I could) changed.  I started not just seeing pictures, but started seeing faces and smiles and the people behind those smiles.  Everyone God loves, everyone He sent His son to die for.  How can printing pictures and popping popcorn, or putting  on tattoos get people the Gospel that everyone needs?  These things are just “candy in a storefront.”  They are just things to draw people in so they can hear the Gospel.  While we were running the booths, the local outreach team was talking with people, sharing the Gospel with people, praying with the hurting.

Praise the Lord, as far as we know, three people were saved, and there were a couple of people considering opening their homes for Bible studies.

Monday Oct 2.

This morning it was back to the community of Don Boscoe.  We divided into three groups and headed out on foot.  Walking the community prayer “pray walking.”  While prayer walking we try to cover the neighbor with prayer.  For example, if we see children toys in the yard, pray for the children that they would hear the Gospel.  If we see mounds of beer cans, pray for the stronghold of alcohol to be broken down.  When we see city vehicles, pray for the government to help and not hinder the Gospel being spread.

This afternoon we split into two groups; one went back to the park and played and ministered to the children as they get out of school.  The other group went to be an encouragement to our younger brother in the Lord, Noah.  He had a basketball game, we went and hooped and hollered for our favorite player #24!  Go Noah!

This evening we held a dinner and praise service for a group that meets with Tim and Tina in their home every Monday night.  The goal was for this group to invite others people they know to grow this small group.  What would be normally about 15 people tonight was over 50!  Praise the Lord; He is working here in Panama.

Posted by Steve Ratzlaff

Check out this video

This video is about what God can (and will) do here in Panama City. It is in Spanish, but the song is from Chris Tomlin, God of this City. Also "Instituto de Plantacion de Iglesias" means the Church Planting Institute, which is what we are calling the classes through which we are training Panamanians. This video is to encourage the local churches and church planters to continue in the work that God has set before them. You can view this video in full screen on youtube by clicking on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VucSPIQzGWY

City Highlight: Santa Fe

Efrain, Fulvia, and "Tito" at our intensive

Santa Fe is an area that was “adopted” by a young church planter named Carlos. He has had several volunteer groups come in from the states to help him prayer walk, map, and do events in his area. Carlos has been enthusiastic about his area ever since he chose to work in Santa Fe. His enthusiasm spread to some of his friends at the church he was attending. Through Carlos’ passion, his 9 friends wanted to learn how to church plant, they also gave him the nickname “Tito” which is Titus in English. Currently the UP team is holding an intensive church planting class for his friends. Carlos’ friends have helped Carlos in Santa Fe, it has acted as their training ground before church planting in other area of the city. Sunday, September 5^th, there will be a baptism of a couple who are new believers. We also got word that their will be another couple that is going to be baptized soon, so a total of 4 baptisms! Please continue to pray for Carlos, and his friends, as they seek God and trust him to show them what is next.  Please pray for the couple who have recently accepted Christ into their hearts. Ask God to guard their hearts as they learn more about Him. Ask God to give this couple the same passion to church plant and to see their neighbors come to know Christ.

A mom and her child in Santa Fe

Church Planters in Training

More church planters in training

City highlight- Las Acacias

The church planters that are working in this area are Wika, Yadi, and Nague. All three are very excited to see what God has in store for Las Acacias. This area is in the beginning stages of starting a house church. They are currently looking for people who are interested in learning more about the Bible. The area they are focusing on is an area of Panama City called Las Acacias. This area of the city has about 10,000 people.  Our church planters are focusing on a smaller area in Las Acacias that has about 700 people.

Prayer requests:

-       That a person of peace will be willing to work with our church planters.

-       Wisdom for Wika, Yadi, and Nague as they follow what God has for them in this area.

Nague, Wika, and Yadi

Street of Las Acacias

Boy who lives in Las Acacias

Woman who lives in Las Acacias